On Monday, 26 competitors are teeing it up at the New Mexico State University Golf Course for the U.S. Open local qualifier.

Tee times start at 8 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Among the competitors is NMSU student Davis Chung. He is a junior majoring in professional golf management. The majority of the competitors are players in the Sun Country Professional Golfers’ Association and come from New Mexico and El Paso.

Some of those players include Ty Reid from Elephant Butte, Calum Hill from Silver City, and Ken Little from El Paso. NMSU Golf Course Director Jason White says Hill is, “one of the favorites to most likely move on to regional qualifying.”

Players from all over the country can sign up. NMSU will be seeing players from Midland and Olney, Texas, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Tucson, Arizona.

Two players will advance to sectional qualifiers. There are several sectional qualifiers across the country, and players will list their preferences when they sign up. Once local qualifying is complete, the qualifying players will be assigned to a sectional. After the sectional is the final event – the 118th U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, June 11-17.

The NMSU Golf Course has hosted other U.S. Open qualifiers in the past, and White says it is an honor to be hosting another one this year.

“Hosting events such as a U.S. Open qualifier puts our course on the map and helps attract bigger events to the NMSU Golf Course and Las Cruces. Events like this bring in golfers from all over the state and not only exposes them to our golf course, but also our university and the city of Las Cruces,” White said.